History of Kuala Lumpur

KL was founded in 1857 by a member of the Selangor royal family, Raja Abdullah, who was the representative of the Yam Tuan who administered Klang. Together with Raja Jumaat of Lukut and 87 Chinese workers, he came to explore the district in search for tin ore. After travelling up the Klang River to reach its confluence with the Gombak River, they made their way through deep jungle and found tin near Ampang. That moment marked the beginning of KL's development. Over the years it grew from a tin miner's camp into a commercial centre that was able to attract large numbers of investors from around various places.

After the arrival of Yap Ah Loy in the 1860s, development progressed at a faster pace. In March 1880, the British moved their seat of administration from Klang to KL. With this, the British took charge of the running and expansion of the town and continued its development. This led to KL becoming a revamped urban centre with a completely new look.

KL continued to grow despite two World Wars, the crash of rubber and tin commodity and during the communist insurgency. In 1957, the Federation of Malaya gained independence and Kuala Lumpur was designated as the state capital. In 1972, KL achieved city status and appointed its first mayor. It was established as a Federal Territory in 1974 and is now one of the most vibrant cities in the world.